tonight, the rare and amazing celestial event. the excitement across america for the total solar eclipse. tens of millions of americans from small

towns to big cities looking to the sky. massive crowds like the one here at the indianapolis motor speedway gathering to witness history. our team along the path of totality, stretching from texas to maine and even 20,000 feet in the air for a view like no other. also tonight, the deadly shooting inside a law office in las vegas. two victims and the shooter dead. what we're learning. also tonight, former president donald trump weighing in on abortion. the gop front-runner declining to endorse a national ban and saying it should be left up to the states. why he's now facing bipartisan backlash. president biden announcing new student debt relief for up to 25 million americans. will it help with his slipping performance among younger voters? israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu now saying there is a date for the rafah offensive, defying warnings from president biden. the terrifying mid-air scare. the engine cover

ripped off a southwest airlines plane. the faa launching an investigation. and south carolina getting their perfect ending, but for iowa's caitlin clark this historic season was just the beginning as women's sports reached new heights. >> announcer: this is nbc "nightly news" with lester holt. good evening and welcome from indianapolis. it was a view quite literally that was out of this world. tens of millions of us getting a once in a generation look at a total solar eclipse. the moon coming between the earth and sun, casting a path of total darkness extending diagonally across the eastern half of the country, from texas to maine, bringing some who watched to tears, others to laughter and joy. so many others hitting the road to get the best view possible, feeling a remarkable connection to nature and perhaps each other. a unifying moment in a world too often rocked by division. we watched it all from

here at the indianapolis motor speedway as the country was swept up in a dark moment we could all celebrate. it didn't matter where you were. >> whoo! >> reporter: the reactions were the same. >> the diamond ring! >> reporter: joy, awe, and wonder. a shared experience for millions of people today who had a front row seat to history on the horizon. >> just seeing how it got dark, that was an experience that you know, it's like unforgettable. >> i'm glad to be a part of something like this. >> reporter: people flocked to the path of totality, wider than it was in 2017, and stretching across 15 states from the pacific to the atlantic. our correspondents were spread across it. as the moon's shadow moved from the southwest to the northeast. morgan chesky in his hometown of kerrville, texas. >> everyone is in awe right now of this four

minutes and 24 seconds, which i have to tell you is feeling a little like an eternity right now. the build-up was so strong as we saw the moon slide in front of the sun that when it finally happened you almost had to pinch yourself. >> reporter: soaking up the moment with his family. >> little 10-month-old eleanor about to get her very first eclipse. i know it's a lot to take in, honey, but olivia -- oh, it's a lot, i know. i know. i wouldn't be anywhere else other than with you all right now. >> there it goes! >> reporter: in dallas al roker. >> yeah! whoo! oh, oh! yeah! there are the beads! there are the beads! oh, look at this! look at this! >> reporter: and in maine -- >> five, four, three, two, one. >> reporter: kate snow surrounded by thousands. >> i've done this once

before, and i got emotional then, and i feel myself getting emotional now. it's just something about it that is so incredibly special. i think it's maybe the commonality that we're all experiencing one thing at the same exact time. >> reporter: for some it was about checking something off that bucket list. >> i'm from east africa and i couldn't believe what i've just seen. ♪♪ >> reporter: for others it marked a new beginning. hundreds of couples exchanged vows in russellville, arkansas including michelle and randy weller. >> we will always remember our wedding day because of this day. >> reporter: and despite concerns about the cloudy forecast, the views did not disappoint. >> you can see the bottom corner coming out. >> i think it's coming out right now. >> there you go, right there on the right. whoo! >> reporter: pure magic inviting all of us who paused for a few minutes today and simply looked up. >> what was the emotion you guys experienced? >> it was breathtaking.

>> reporter: we were at the indianapolis speedway with more than 50,000 other eclipse chasers. >> it's just sliding away. you know, tom, you and i cover a lot of -- a lot of difficult things to report sometimes, but this is magical. >> reporter: and as the sky quickly darkened -- >> i think we're in totality. >> reporter: -- we took off our glasses. >> like exciting, happy. like my heart beating is fast. >> reporter: i am so happy you guys got to experience this. this is so neat. >> a special and powerful moment that connected all of us. >> my mom always promised me a trip to the moon. 1969 watching the first moon landing together. she made it an event that we would never forget. this is her. >> she's with you today. >> thank you. >> it was a terrific day. we've got one more view of today's eclipse we'll show you later on the broadcast

i think you're going to like. in the meantime let's get to that breaking news in nevada. police responding to a fatal shooting at an office park just outside las vegas, leaving three people dead including the shooter. steve patterson has late details for us. >> reporter: tonight gunfire at a law firm after an attorney shot opposing counsel during a deposition. according to two sources familiar with the investigation. >> the suspect is barricaded. >> reporter: police say shots rang out at a law firm inside an office complex in summerlin, nevada an affluent community about ten miles from the vegas strip. >> gunshot wound to the shooter. >> reporter: police say the suspected male shooter shot and killed two victims before turning the gun on himself. sources say the victims were a prominent attorney and his wife. >> i just want to assure the community now that we believe the suspect is deceased. >> reporter: the gunfire came from inside a law firm on the fifth floor of a mixed office building, leading to hundreds evacuated according to

police. >> as you can imagine, we have a five or six-story building. we have people that are hunkered down. we're going door by door and making sure that everybody in there is okay. >> reporter: investigators aren't commenting on the motive but say it's likely a domestic or personal dispute involving the shooter and victims. >> the question is do we know the relationship between the victims, and the answer is we have a theory at this point. >> reporter: another american workplace forever marked by the trauma and tragedy of gun violence. steve patterson, nbc news. now to the race for the white house. after months of questions former president donald trump today revealing his position on abortion, declining to call for a national ban, saying he would leave it up to the states. but he is facing bipartisan backlash. here's garrett haake. >> reporter: tonight after weeks of hints former president trump weighing in on abortion, declining to call for a national ban, instead saying it should be up to states to decide on any restrictions. >> the states will determine by vote or legislation or perhaps

both, and whatever they decide must be the law of the land, in this case the law of the state. at the end of the day this is all about the will of the people. >> reporter: also stating his own view. >> i am strongly in favor of exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother. >> reporter: mr. trump's announcement creating intense bipartisan backlash. >> donald trump just endorsed every single state ban on reproductive care nationwide. if maga republicans put a federal ban on his desk, he'd sign it. donald trump is the reason roe has ended. if you re-elect me, i'll be the reason why it's restored. >> reporter: while mr. trump's former vp mike pence slamming him for not calling for a national ban, writing, "president trump's retreat on the right to life is a slap in the face to the millions of pro-life americans who voted for him in 2016 and 2020." the supreme court, with three trump-appointed justices, struck down roe v. wade in 2022, returning the issue to the states, where some now have near total abortion bans. others have no

restrictions. >> i was proudly the person responsible for the ending of something that all legal scholars, both sides, wanted and in fact demanded be ended, roe v. wade. >> reporter: but just 36% of americans support the overturning of roe according to an nbc news poll. and the issue has energized democrats. for mr. trump today's announcement is the latest step in a long public evolution on abortion. >> i'm very pro choice. >> i'm pro life. >> we will agree to a number of weeks which will be where both sides will be happy. >> meanwhile, garrett, former president trump made an 11th hour bid to delay his manhattan hush money trial. what can you tell us? >> reporter: that's right, lester. mr. trump's attorneys asked today for a change of venue due to pretrial publicity in manhattan. but an appeals court judge late today denied that request, meaning jury selection is still on track to start on monday. lester? >> all right, garrett

haake, thank you. and for his part president biden was courting young voters whose support for the president is slipping. according to polls. the white house announcing a plan to wipe out student debt for millions more americans. gabe gutierrez is in wisconsin with more. >> it felt almost impossible. >> reporter: former public school teacher seth mcclure had been paying off his student loans for more than 20 years until $15,000 were forgiven in november. and he's praising the president. >> surprise, gratitude. i honestly didn't think it was actually going to happen, and it did. >> reporter: he's one of the now 30 million americans the white house says will have at least some of their federal student debt eliminated. >> today too many americans, especially young people, are saddled with unsustainable debts in exchange for a college degree. >> reporter: today's announcement in battleground wisconsin the largest one yet since the supreme court struck down the president's earlier attempt to forgive student loans. the white house is now using a different legal justification. but republicans say taxpayers who did not

go to college or already paid back their loans should not have to bail out the 13% of americans with federal student debt. >> genocide joe has got to go! >> reporter: the president making the move as he faces mounting outrage from some younger voters over the israel-hamas war. >> if biden is supporting genocide, there is no lesser evil than that. so we won't vote for him. >> reporter: in the 2020 nbc news exit poll candidate biden led former president trump by 24 percentage points among voters under 30. but an nbc survey in january had president biden up by just eight percentage points among that group. another poll last month showed mr. trump ahead by 18 points among voters under 30. >> are you excited to vote for president biden? >> i would personally say no. >> reporter: hailey rudy and maya cohn are both sophomores at the university of wisconsin madison. >> i'm excited to vote for someone that's not trump. but i wouldn't say that it is -- i'm excited for biden. >> reporter: even if the president ends up winning back some

younger voters before november, a small change from 2020 could swing the election. lester? >> all right, gabe gutierrez, thank you. after six months of war in gaza between israel and hamas, israel's prime minister vowing again to carry out an offensive on a key southern city just as israeli troops have withdrawn from significant territory. hala gorani is in israel for us tonight. >> reporter: tonight after that israeli military withdrawal from southern gaza prime minister benjamin netanyahu vowing to mount a controversial ground offensive in the southern city of rafah. "there is a date. it will happen," he said this evening, though not revealing when. israel says rafah is the last hamas stronghold. but president biden opposes an attack on the city, where over a million palestinian civilians are currently taking shelter. meantime, palestinians returning to the areas israeli forces left behind survey their shattered

neighborhoods in disbelief. "you can't live here. animals can't live here," this man says in khan younis. all of this as there's increasing pressure from the u.s. to reach a cease-fire agreement. marking the six-month anniversary of the hamas terror attack, netanyahu saying there will be no cease-fire unless hamas frees hostages. while ordinary palestinians are desperate for any kind of respite after half a year of death and destruction. meantime, we're hearing that plans promised by benjamin netanyahu to open new aid crossings into gaza are still in the works but could take several more days. lester? >> hala gorani, thank you. in 60 seconds, the latest scare on a passenger plane as an latest scare on a passenger plane as an engine cover fls offal sh ingles. some describe it as an intense burning sensation. or an unbearable itch. this painful blistering rash could also disrupt your work and time with family.

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avoiding jail time when he was sentenced today for the assault of his ex-girlfriend. the judge ordering majors to complete a 52-week counseling program and pay a $250 fine. majors was convicted of misdemeanor assault and harassment in december. after the verdict majors was dropped by marvel. also tonight, we turn now to those scary moments aboard a southwest airlines flight. the cover over one of the engines ripping off during takeoff as terrified passengers could only look on. sam brock now on the investigation into what went wrong. >> reporter: peering out their plane windows, passengers on board southwest flight 3695 were jolted by this sight sunday. >> it fell off. >> reporter: the cowling, or metal sheet covering the engine, unfurling during takeoff from denver to houston, smacking into the wing. >> as i was recording you could see pieces of the plane fly by. i was like oh, my

goodness. >> were you saying your prayers at that point in time? >> i had started praying. >> reporter: jesse watson was seated in the back row and after the pilot flagged air traffic control -- >> let's go ahead and declare an emergency. we've got a piece of engine cowling hanging off. >> reporter: -- his mind started to wander, given a rash of recent incidents. >> really all that stuff starts flashing through your mind because you can't help it. if you've been exposed to it. >> reporter: southwest describing it as a mechanic issue, our maintenance teams are reviewing the aircraft, and the faa promising to investigate. >> an incident like this with video significantly adds to this climate of concern. aviation, especially commercial aviation, is very safe. >> reporter: it's unclear what caused the malfunction, just days after another southwest jet was grounded by an engine fire scare. and boeing is facing multiple investigations over a door plug crisis that rocked an alaska airlines flight. but while the southwest 737 is manufactured by boeing, this plane has been in service for years. whose responsibility is it to check the safety of the

cowlings? >> it's 100% on the airline, the maintenance crews, the flight crews when they do a preflight check. >> reporter: tonight a perfect storm of a scare in unsettling times. sam brock, nbc news. and coming up, rising tide for women's basketball. what's next for the stars of the season? ttacks t. that's why my go to is nurtec odt. it's the only migraine medication that can treat and prevent my attacks all in one. don't take if allergic to nurtec. allergic reactions can occur even days after using. most common side effects were nausea, indigestion and stomach pain. now i'm in control. with nurtec odt i can treat a migraine attack and prevent one. talk to your doctor about nurtec today. i love your dress. oh thanks! i splurged a little because liberty mutual customized my car insurance and i saved hundreds. that's great. i know, right? i've been telling everyone. baby: liberty. did you hear that?

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about after it shattered ratings records. it was the most watched basketball game since 2019. liz kreutz now on why this season's been a major turning point for women's sports. >> perfection with a touch of sweet redemption! >> reporter: it was an incredible end to an unforgettable season. >> undefeated south carolina has won its third national championship! >> reporter: south carolina outlasting iowa and superstar caitlin clark to win the ncaa women's basketball championship undefeated. watched by nearly 19 million people, according to espn. head coach dawn staley breaking down on the court. this afternoon the team arriving home in columbia, capping off an extraordinary year for women's college basketball, much thanks to iowa's caitlin clark, who broke the all-time division 1 scoring record for women and men. >> i want to personally thank caitlin clark for

lifting up our sport. >> yeah, i'm sad we lost this game but i'm also so proud of myself, i'm so proud of my teammates. >> reporter: but as clark hangs up her iowa jersey, the future of women's basketball is just beginning. >> caitlin clark, paige bueckers, angel reese, like everyone just you hear and you're like i know her. i could be like her someday. >> reporter: all eyes now on the wnba, where clark is expected to be the number one pick alongside other rising stars like angel reese and kamilla cardoso. tickets for the draft selling out. >> when you talk about the viewership numbers, the excitement, the parity, women's basketball won this season and that's all we could ask for. >> reporter: a win for the sport and its growing fan base. liz kreutz, nbc news, los angeles. and up next for us tonight, while almost everyone looked up, we looked down. the eclipse from 20,000 feet above, coming up. tw een milestones may start at age 9.

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♪♪ ♪♪ finally, millions of us witnessed the awe of the total solar eclipse from the ground. but a lucky few got to see it from 20,000 feet, including our own gadi schwartz. >> reporter: how lucky are we to have a moon and sun so perfectly aligned that every so

often their magical dance allows us to stare straight at the sun for a celestial show like no other? from the youngest viewers to those waiting for this moment for decades, many were simply overcome by the beauty of today's total eclipse. while we set out for a different view. >> we're going to be flying in formation for a little bit. the plan is that that jet is going to stay on the outside of the edge of totality. >> reporter: a front row seat to history from above. >> all right. so right now we are in full-on totality. let me see if i can show you. look. we are, what, about 20,000 feet? >> correct. >> reporter: the views breathtaking. >> when you're up here and you see -- you see the movement of the shadow, the shadow is very dark on this side, very light on this side. >> reporter: the team from v speed capturing a moon shadow passing over arkansas. >> look at this.

wow! now it's like the sunrise but the sunrise is a color i've never seen before. it is like a deep purple. this is incredible. what a happy coincidence. >> reporter: a cosmic wink to all of us that we share this planet united under our sun. >> super excited. i love hearing the joy behind me when all of that went down. >> it is a -- it's a life -- it's a life-changing experience. >> reporter: gadi schwartz, nbc news, somewhere over arkansas. >> i think gadi's still flying pretty high after an amazing day. and from any angles, simply from the ground or from the air, what an amazing and magical day. that's "nightly news" for this monday. thanks for watching, everyone. i'm lester holt. please take care of yourself and each other. good night.

you just saw it on nightly news. the great american eclipse, 16 states got a chance to see the total solar ecli